Together We Are Stronger
by GuppyintheOcean
Summary: A story to tide us over until Monday night's episode 5X05 airs, and we can all 'officially' feel better again. Slight spoilers from promo and sneak peaks for 5X05.
1. Chapter 1

He could have easily lied and just said that the jewelry was for Alexis, a graduation present. Knowing what great detectives he was dealing with likely is what stopped him, he mused while idling away time in the holding cell. Still, if he was honest with himself, he could not lie about anything to do with Kate, not anymore. Not after the pain that both of them had gone through earlier this year.

As for withholding his alibi? Well, Kate was his alibi. She knew it and he knew it but he'd be damned if it was going on record due to an interrogation for a crime he did not commit. There had to be something else that would clear him of all of this suspicion. After all, it had been years since he had spent any kind of intimate time with the victim. Find him guilty of never completely severing ties with any of his former lovers, OK. Guilty as charged. The woman in that jewelry store was his 'go to person' for exquisite and unique pieces of jewelry, which was exactly what he wanted to present Kate with to celebrate six months of togetherness. Ha. Now that togetherness was on hold with him under arrest and in a holding cell, and Kate doing her best to be cold and professional about everything. Besides, he had bought Kate's jewelry weeks ago, and paid the $20,000 that he thought nothing of with a credit card. He had no explanation for the footage from the security camera that was part of the evidence against him.

Kate refused to look at or be in the interview room with Castle, sending Esposito in to ask the questions. Sure, Castle understood why. At least he thought he did. If Kate could stay on the case, she could work tirelessly to exonerate him. Not leave the finding of his innocence to chance or to anybody else. Of course, a little communication would be nice, would be a great comfort right about now.

Castle's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a clanging of a door and a scraping of shoes on the cold floor. He looked up to see Detective Ryan moving in his direction. Ryan stopped in front of the cell, slid right up next to the bars so that he could speak quietly with Castle.

"Say, Castle, how are you holding up?"

"I've been better"

"Oh, I'm sure. I saw your Mom upstairs, posting bail. I imagine you'll be out pretty soon."

"Ryan, what about suspects for this murder? You have to know I didn't do this."

"Well, Castle. That's what I'm here about. It's not a good thing that you would not give us an alibi for the time of the murder. And..." Ryan hesitated for a moment, wondering just how much of his thoughts he should reveal.

"And what?" Rick looked with expectancy at Ryan.

"Well, eh, I'm wondering if you do have an alibi, maybe a girlfriend, that you don't want to talk about..." and Ryan's voice trailed off as he struggled to complete his thought.

Castle scrubbed his face with his hands and moved up close to the bars. He and Ryan were just inches apart, blue eyes connecting with blue eyes for several moments of silence. Finally, Castle spoke.

"If you know anything or think you do, Kevin...then you know that I need to rely upon you and Espo and Beckett finding evidence that points to the real killer rather than to me."

Ryan sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought, Castle. Well, we're definitely gonna be pulling an all nighter. But the other thing I need to tell you, once you get out on bail, is that you have to stay away until we can sort though things..."

Castle backed up a step, shocked by this latest demand, even though he really did see it coming. "Ryan, I'm part of the team! And I'm motivated to get to the truth."

"That's just it, Castle. Can't risk you muddying any waters and jeopardizing any evidence, or even the appearance of it..."

Castle sighed. "OK, but I don't have to like it. Where is Beckett?" Then, as an afterthought, Castle added "and Esposito?"

Ryan explained to Castle that the other two members of the team were working to trace the victim's activities for the past months, looking for anything that might point to others to interview or possibly a person of interest. Castle still could not help but wonder when he would next see Kate.


	2. Chapter 2 Finding His Legs Again

A/N Thank you for reading my story and trusting me to finish it. There will be four chapters in all, and they will be published before Monday's show airs. My story has not been beta read and so all mistakes are mine. Reviews are appreciated and will hopefully encourage me to write more and improve.

Castle? Nope, not mine.

Chapter 2: Finding His Legs Again

Castle was back home in the loft, and he moved aimlessly around his office, nursing a tumbler of scotch that he had been sipping on for the past several hours. He seriously wanted to get drunk and forget all of this, but another part of him, the part that was angry and fighting, somehow knew that staying sober was better.

What had been in the drawer that was such damming evidence? He was surprised that no one had shown him the item or items while he was being interrogated. Now that he thought about it, it was almost as if Ryan and Esposito didn't really believe that he was guilty. Sure, they were going through the motions of interviewing him, and booking him for murder. But grilling him for a confession...no, they did not seem to be doing that.

Castle smiled a little to himself and felt a brief flicker of hope in his heart that his teammates of four years plus really were on his side, really did believe in his innocence. He found that he was a little surprised that it seemed almost as important that Espo and Ryan believe him as it was that Beckett believed him. Still, Beckett was different from Kate. His Kate had to believe him, and if not, Castle wondered, how could they ever build what they had into a lasting relationship?

"Whew, guess I'm getting the cart in front of the horse here" Castle muttered aloud to himself. "If I'm in prison for life for murder, no way is there going to be any relationship." Suddenly looking and feeling stronger and focused, Castle put down the half full glass in the kitchen sink, and strode for the front door of his loft.

Downstairs, Castle started a friendly conversation with the security guard on duty. Then he launched into the real reason why he wanted to converse with the keeper of security in his building. "Johnny, something very strange showed up in my apartment sometime within the past few days. I'm wondering if there was anything odd that might have happened here at the front desk? If anyone, seemingly legitimate, might have asked for access into my home?"

Johnny was a veteran at Castle's building and liked Mr. Castle very much. Castle was kind and considerate and usually had a few words to share with the man at the front desk. He wasn't like some of the other tenants who seemed to feel that they were somehow above or better than the hired staff. Johnny thought about the trouble that his security team could be in but he resolved to help Mr. Castle, who truly looked troubled.

"Well, Mr. Castle, I cannot personally say that I've noticed anything but we keep a log book of every 'incident' that might occur so let's look that over." With that, Johnny pulled out a green ledger book and opened it to the last few pages of entries. There were various scrawlings in different handwriting. Several deliveries to various units, a few service people to install technology or work on appliances...and then, suddenly, Castle's forefinger stiffened and stilled on an entry. His voice shaking a little, he softly read aloud.

"Mr. Castle asked to be let into his unit Saturday mid morning. He had forgotten his key and nobody else was home." The entry had been made by Bobby, the newest member of the security team and someone Castle had not yet met in the week that Bobby had been employed at his building.

"Johnny. This is it! I was out with some members of the NYPD at this time!" Castle forcefully exclaimed. "This could have been a person who looked like me, enough to fool a newcomer like Bobby, although I'm sure you would have seen right through him." Castle pulled out his phone, feeling more energized that he had all day. He thought a moment, and then called Esposito at the prescient.

"Yo, Esposito" came the quick answer after 2 rings.

"Esposito, this is Castle. I need you to listen to me; I need you to come to my building, right now. I'll be waiting for you in the lobby." And with that, Castle hung up, not wanting to explain or give Esposito any opportunity to think of a reason not to come.


	3. Chapter 3 Four Makes A Team

Chapter 3 Four Makes A Team

Twenty minutes later, not only Esposito but Ryan and Beckett as well pulled up to the curb outside Castle's apartment building. Striding into the lobby, they were a bit startled to see Castle still in the wrinkled clothes he had on while in holding overnight. Beckett looked directly at Castle with, what was that look in her eyes? Castle could almost swear he saw Kate there, all compassion and love and determination. He took a deep inhale of air and a step forward. He could barely keep eye contact with Kate, it just felt too painful, so he turned to Ryan and Esposito.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Johnny, the senior security guard for this building. Earlier, I couldn't stop thinking about how something so incriminating that I had never seen could be in my desk drawer in my home. So I came down here to have a conversation with Johnny. I'll let him show you what we found." With that, Castle motioned to Johnny to pass the ledger over to the detectives and let them read the entry that had been made by Bobby.

As Beckett read over the shoulders of her two teammates, a smile dared to change the shape of her mouth. Her eyes quickly darted up to Castle's. "You were with us most of Saturday morning. I...I picked you up and we drove to the crime scene...You didn't leave the prescient until afternoon..."

Ryan cut in then, addressing Johnny. "Would Bobby have let an impersonator into Castle's unit? Wouldn't Bobby have recognized Mr. Castle? We're gonna need to pick up Bobby and interview him..."

At that point Esposito jumped in, "We're gonna need security footage from any cameras you have in this lobby and the elevator and at the outside entrance."

And that quickly, it seemed that the small crack in the real killer's plan had been found. The team was focused and back on the trail of true justice.


	4. Chapter 4 Looking Back Moving Forward

Chapter 4 Looking Back; Moving Forward

Three days later, Kate kicked off her heels as she entered the loft, and moved directly to the soft sofa in the living room. Castle went first to the kitchen, uncorked a good bottle of red wine and poured two generous glasses before he followed Kate into the living room.

They both smiled big open smiles at each other, eyes softly shining with more happiness and calm and loving feelings than they'd allowed themselves to feel since Castle's false arrest.

"Kate," Castle began, feeling the need to speak with words about something so important. "It felt really good these past few days, to know how much you believed in me, had faith in me, and knew I could not have done such a horrible thing to another human being. The boys too, even Gates, that you all believed in me...well, right now I can't find words for what that means to me."

Kate snuggled up against Castle and held her face mere inches from his. Her eyes locked onto his gaze and she nodded her head ever so slightly. "I can't begin to know what it felt like, really felt like, to be falsely accused but yes, I'm so glad we were able to let you know how hard we were working to clear your name, even while we were the team of record on the investigation."

She took a shuttered breath then and continued. "Rick, you have to know that the 'Kate' in me was dying inside, wanting to stand by you and scream at everybody that you didn't do this and to leave you alone!" Rick couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit at the intensity of his girlfriend's emotions right now. Kate wasn't done and she continued, "But the Beckett in me had to do things by the book and be professional and look for proof rather than faith. Oh, Rick, it nearly killed me." She looked at his eyes again, seeking understanding and acceptance of all that she has spoken.

And in Rick Castle, she found both. "Yeah, seeing that imposter on my building's security footage at the same exact time I was with all of you at the crime scene was a pretty solid alibi. Made my saying I didn't buy the jewelry have some credibility too. Now, tracking down 3XK'ss hired thug in that seedy part of town at night wasn't my first preference but I was so glad to be by your side, figuring it all out."

"If only we had actually gotten 3XK as well" Castle continued, mistakenly thinking he was talking with Beckett. But he was not. The beautiful, peaceful woman on the sofa with him was all Kate right now, with only Rick and Kate thoughts on her mind.

Kate smiled loving at Castle as she picked up her glass and took a sip. She had one more thing to say. "Rick, if I ever doubted you, even for just a moment, I fear it was the callous detective in me pushing the loving partner aside. I'm hoping we can take these next few days that I have off from work to be together and to share more of our feelings and our thoughts and our memories of experiences with each other. I mean, such as how we each interpreted things at different times over these past years. I think it will help me to understand where we are at right now, and where we are heading. And I would like to begin by saying..."

Kate paused to smile at Rick, and lightly kiss the tip of his nose, then his forehead, before she looked into his open, ocean blue eyes with all the emotions in her heart, and softly said, "Rick, I love you."

A/N I hope you have enjoying reading this; my first Castle fanfic story. If you are inclined, please let me know what you thought. Guppy in the ocean


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